The Sharps 50
by Spots on a Pony
Summary: Adam and Joe join a posse to catch a bank robber.


This story was in response to a Bonanza Bits challange on Bonanaza World where the prompt was A Shot In The Dark.

Any and all feedback welcomed.

**The Sharps .50**

**Bonanza Bits #80 **

**by Spotted Pony**

It appeared to be a perfectly ordinary day in Virginia City as Adam and Joe drove the big wagon in for the ranch's weekly supplies. But all thoughts of getting supplies and having a quiet beer in the saloon afterwards were forgotten as Sheriff Coffee flagged them down.

"Adam, Little Joe," he called. "I need your help. The bank has just been robbed and I'm forming a posse. I need you two boys to go along with me."

Adam and Joe looked at each other and came to a quick agreement. "Just give us a few minutes to take care of the team and get horses from the livery," Adam replied, "and we'll meet you in front of the jail."

The sheriff waved his hand in acknowledgement and stepped away as Adam slapped the reins on the horses' backs and urged them at a quick trot toward the livery stable. In 15 minutes they had stabled the team, rented riding horses and met up with Roy and the other posse members.

"Roy, what happened?" Adam asked as Roy led them out of town.

"About an hour ago, three men held up the bank," Roy told him. "They shot up the bank, killing a teller and a couple of customers. Clem and I were making our rounds, and coming from opposite directions, we managed to get two of them, but the third, the one with the money, managed to get away."

It was midmorning when the chase started, and it soon became apparent that the outlaw had a good horse and knew where he was going. By midafternoon, they realized that they were gaining on him and were sure that it was only a matter of time before they caught up with him when his trail led into a box canyon.

"There he is," Joe shouted, pointing at the outlaw as he made his way along a narrow path leading up the canyon wall to a cave about three quarters of the way to the top.

Continuing into the canyon, they spotted a spring and the outlaw's exhausted horse drinking from it. The path up the wall started about a hundred yards beyond the spring. Before anyone could start up the path, the outlaw reached the cave, and taking cover behind a boulder, began shooting at the posse with his rifle. The horses spooked, whirled and swiftly carried their riders well out of the canyon before their riders' regained control.

As his horse spooked and bolted, Adam felt a blow to his side. The shock and pain caused him to lose his seat on the horse, and fall to the floor of the canyon, stunned. Seeing Adam's horse race by with an empty saddle, Joe spun his mount and turned back to the canyon. Spurring the reluctant horse on, he headed for the black clad figure sprawled on the sand half way between the canyon entrance and the spring. Shots from the canyon wall prevented Joe from being able to rescue his brother, so he was reluctantly forced to retreat.

It appeared to be a stalemate. The outlaw had the advantage of height and was able to keep anyone from entering the canyon to assist Adam, but posse members were just able to keep him from taking the path up to the top of the canyon. That section of the path was almost out of range of their rifles and shooting from below also put them at a disadvantage. So it was a standoff.

While Joe anxiously watched Adam to see if he were still alive, Roy decided to split the posse. One half would stay where they were and try and keep the outlaw pinned in the cave. The other half would circle around and try to cut off his escape from the top of the canyon. Roy didn't hold out much hope of being able to catch the outlaw this way. It would take many hours and be well after first light the next morning before the posse could get there, and undoubtedly the outlaw would make his brake after dark and get to the horses that were most likely hidden nearby up on top. It was a long shot and he had to try.

Finally Joe's patience was rewarded. Adam began to move. He slowly got to his feet, but before he could stagger more than a couple of steps, the outlaw fired several shots at him, forcing Adam to dive for shelter among some boulders near the canyon wall. Joe's heart sank as the outlaw prevented Adam from taking refuge at the spring. All Adam could do was slump against the canyon wall in full sunlight, and it was a very hot day and he had no water. He managed to plug the wound in his side, but he had to be very careful. The outlaw would take a shot at him every time he spotted him moving behind his sheltering boulders. As there wasn't much room behind the rocks, and besides hurting bad, he was suffering from cramps from having to stay curled up.

Looking up at the cave through his field glasses, Roy observed with a scowl, "If we just had more powerful rifles, we could at least give him something to think about. Maybe wound him enough to slow him down. But at this range the most that we can expect is giving him minor flesh wounds if that."

_A more powerful rifle_, Joe thought. _Hoss has a Sharps .50. The cave and the outlaw were well within its range. _"Roy," he said, "the Ponderosa isn't that far away, Hoss has a Sharps that I know that has the range for this job. Please, would you let me go for it? I don't think Adam can wait until tomorrow."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Roy looked into Joe's anxious face, at Adam hunched against the canyon wall and at the outlaw in the cave high above. "I reckon we don't have any choice, Joe. We have to get him before dark or else he's going to get too much of a head start that the rest of the posse won't be able to catch up with him. So go, Joe, and hurry. Get back before sundown or it will be **a shot in the dark.**"

Joe didn't waste any time, he turned and ran for his horse and spurred it toward home as fast as it could go, Adam's life depended upon it. Joe rode into the yard on the foam-lathered horse at a full gallop. Pulling the horse to a stop, he leaped off and whipped its reins around the hitch rail. Dashing into the barn, he quickly saddled up Cochise and tied him next to the livery horse. Charging through the front door, he hollered, "Hop Sing!" He headed across the room and took Hoss' Sharps from the gun rack.

Hop Sing scurried from the kitchen demanding, "Why Little Joe yell? Where Mr. Adam? Where supplies?"

Joe quickly explained the situation as he looked over the big rifle. While Hop Sing was getting together food and medical supplies, Joe gave the rifle a quick but careful cleaning, making sure the action and sights were working properly and secure. He didn't know how many shots he would get, but he didn't want to take a chance of it jamming or misfiring, Adam's life could depend on it. Joe grabbed for a box of ammunition, but his hand was shaking so badly, the box burst open and the bullets spilled out. Cursing under his breath, he carefully picked out about two dozen of the .50 caliber bullets from amongst a bunch of other loose bullets and put them in an inside coat pocket. Catching up the rifle in one hand and its tripod in the other, he strode out of the house. Hop Sing had just finished securing a set of saddle bags to Cochise's saddle.

"Medicine in one side, food in the other," Hop Sing told him. "You get there quick for Mr. Adam. I send someone with wagon to bring him back."

"Thanks, Hop Sing," Joe replied as he eased the rifle into the scabbard and secured the tripod to the saddle. "Would you see to the horse too." Hop Sing nodded as Joe swung himself into the saddle and wheeled Cochise around and urged him into a gallop.

It was less than an hour before dark when Joe thundered into the camp set up by the posse. "Any change?" he asked Roy as he dismounted and removed the Sharps from the scabbard and the tripod from the saddle.

"No change, Joe," Roy replied, leading Joe to where a low wall of stone had been built. "He still takes potshots at Adam every time he tries to move, the last time was a couple of minutes before you got here. Now these boulders are about ten feet back from where he hits. You should be out of his range here."

Joe immediately sat down and began preparing the site for shooting. In full view of the outlaw in the cave, Joe set the big Sharps on the tripod and secured it. As the posse members stood by with their rifles at the ready and Roy keeping watch on the cave with his field glasses, Joe estimated the distance at about a half mile and fifty feet up, and adjusted the rifle's scope. He then arranged the bullets in rows within easy reach before loading the rifle and lying down behind it and sighting in for his first shot. Carefully sighting in on his target, the boulder the outlaw was hiding behind, Joe squeezed the trigger.

The noise from the shot startled everyone, but no one more than the outlaw and Adam. Adam tried to make himself even smaller behind his shelter of boulders, until he realized that the shot wasn't at him.

"Made him jump," Roy chortled. "We've got his attention now! You were below and to the right of the cave, Joe."

Joe reloaded the rifle and adjusted the sights before squeezing off another shot. This one hit above and to the left of the cave. The outlaw had figured out what was going on and tried to take Joe out, but as Roy determined earlier, Joe was well out of his range. Joe's third shot was right on target. Through his field glasses, Roy reported that the outlaw was getting worried. "Throw a couple of shots at the back of the cave, Joe," he said, "that should bring him out."

Loading and firing as fast as he could, he sent two .50 caliber slugs to ricocheting off the back of the cave wall. With rifles at the ready, the posse was prepared to pepper the path with lead to slow the outlaw's escape. Darting for safety, the outlaw pumped a couple more shots at Adam who because of the height of the path past the cave was now more vulnerable to the outlaw's gun.

As Adam tried to make himself smaller against the boulders and the canyon wall, Joe muttered, "Oh no you don't," and he swung the Sharps to sight on the outlaw. That shot took the outlaw in the body, causing him to stagger and go down on his knees. Heedless of the lesser caliber bullets pinging the rock around him, he took a few more shots at Adam. He seemed determined that he was going to take someone with him. Joe's second shot took him in the point of the left shoulder causing the outlaw to stagger against the canyon wall leaving a red smear. With his left arm limp, he raised his rifle to aim at Adam, who now had no place to hide. Joe swore, dropped another shell into the Sharps and took aim again. Joe's final shot took the outlaw between the eyes. The bullet slammed the outlaw so hard against the rock wall that he bounced off of it and fell off the path.

Before the body hit the ground, Joe was on his feet and running to his brother with other members of the posse on his heels. Kneeling beside him he asked, "How bad is it Adam?"

"It's my side," Adam replied. "Not very deep. That was nice shooting Little Buddy. Thanks."

"You're welcome, big brother," Joe said, relieved, as he helped Adam drink from a canteen handed him by a posse member. After checking his wound, they helped Joe carry Adam the short distance to the camp where he was settled into a bedroll and his wound properly cleaned and tended.

A few hours later, about an hour and a half after moonrise, the clomp of horses' hoofs and the jingle of harness was heard. A familiar voice called out, "Hello the camp!"

"Howdy Ben, Hoss," Roy replied, as the two entered the light thrown out by the campfire. "You missed all the fun. That youngest boy of yours sure can shoot!"

"You got that bank robber then, Roy?" Hoss asked.

"Sure did, Hoss. What's left of him is over there," he nodded at a canvas wrapped bundle lying off to the side. "Joe will be collecting any reward that there may be on that outlaw."

"That's nice," Ben, said anxiously, "but where is Adam? Hop Sing said that that Adam was wounded."

"Over here," Joe called out softly across the fire. "He lost a lot of blood, but I think he'll be ok."

Ben and Hoss came around the fire and knelt beside where Adam was bedded down. Blinking in the firelight, Adam smiled and said, "Hi Pa. Glad you could make it." He then closed his eyes, snuggled down further in his blankets and went back to sleep.

Hoss grinned, "Older brother isn't hurt too bad if he's that cheerful."

After a few questions, Ben was able to assure himself that Adam would only need a couple weeks of rest at home and he would be fine.

And so it was. The money was returned to the bank, Adam made a complete recovery and Joe got a $500 reward for stopping the bank robber.

The end August 2004 

9


End file.
